Hubris: Volume 2

Chapter 32: Dressed in Shadow

The scene opens with Zeldris and the man staring each other down. The man wriggled his fingers over his gun before calling out.

???: "Draw!"

As Zeldris heard those words he quickly made a dash for it but he couldn't evade it in time, the bullet pierced his leg, blood squirted everywhere briefly from the hole that was made that caused him to scream out. Zeldris gritted his teeth before holding his arm in the air.

Zeldris: "Moon armour: Crescent Phase!"

As Zeldris chanted out his curse, luminous white armour began to cover his legs slightly along with his arms, a tiny white dagger was tucked into a hilt around his waist. Zeldris's head wasn't covered at all, but some armour was better than none. Zeldris took out the dagger before spinning it around in his hand. The man laughed before taking out his gun and aiming it down at him.

???: "Cutless!"

As he chanted out his spell, a flurry of gunshots were fired at Zeldris. The loud sound of his gun echoed throughout the grim empty halls of the cave. Zeldris held up his dagger and deflected the bullets swiftly, he then held out his hand before chanting.

Zeldris: "Moon ray!!"

As Zeldris chanted, a beam of white light was expelled from his right hand swiftly. It lit up the dimly lit room as it was fired, the man swiftly jumped down landing on the lower ground in front of Zeldris. Bits of rocks were obliterated because of his attack. The man pulled out his pistol and fired more shots at Zeldris, Zeldris leaped up front flipping forward to avoid them. As the man watched him dodge, a light grin spread across his face. Zeldris was confused..but he had to focus.

Zeldris: "Crescent Sl-"

???: "Bang." The man said lowly as he lowered his sunglasses.

Zeldris coughed blood as he felt the impact of a bullet hit him in his back.

Zeldris: "What the hell...I thought I avoided that."

???: "You could say you did...but not really boyo. I can change the properties of my bullets that I fire out of my gun. So what if they miss?"

Zeldris: "Wait..that means you must've turned them into rubber just as they were about to hit the wall."

???: "Bingo...and would ya look at that, you're surrounded by walls."

Zeldris's pupil shrank as he heard him say those words. The man spun his pistol around before shooting a volley of bullets at the wall, suddenly a barrage of bullets bounced around unpredictably around Zeldris.

Zeldris: "I'll just have to harden my ar-"

???: "Armour pierce rounds!"

As the man called that out, the black bullets shifted into silver bullets which in turn pierced the armour of Zeldris. Zeldris grunted in pain as the bullets pierced him, blood splashed everywhere...it began to soil the bright luminous white armour he had on.

???: "You're lookin' like swish cheese kid."

The scene changed to Tabitha, she was in a dark room but it suddenly lit up. She looked around, but her focus was taken by a man dressed in black with sunglasses.

Tabitha: "This must be one of the Androids Zeldris was talking about. Where are the others?"

Android: "Executing order 2245. Eradicate intruder at any cost."

The android suddenly disappeared in a flash, Tabitha gasped before looking around. The android appeared behind her before kicking her in the back which made her stumble forward slightly.

Tabitha: "He's fast! I can't keep my eyes on him."

Tabitha said in a slight panic.

Android: "Black haze."

The android had chanted, suddenly the room was filled with black smoke..Tabitha couldn't see a thing.

Tabitha: "What is this smoke?! As if breathing down here was hard enough."

The man appeared beside her, Tabitha anticipated this before turning to her right to guard the attack..but he disappeared again.

Tabitha: "A fake out?!"

The man appeared under her before kicking up toward her chin that sent up her upwards. Tabitha let out a small scream as she hit the ground but she got up rubbing her chin.

Tabitha: "I have a feeling..you're not going to tell me where the others are without a fight? I've never fought before..outside of fathers training, but I can't let the others down!"

The android disappeared again, this time reappearing behind her. Tabitha closed her eyes, she began to focus her energy from within. The android reappeared above her to deliver a powerful blow, Tabitha opened her eyes and spun her right leg around to kick the android in the face sending it back out of the black smoke.

Tabitha ran out of the smoke before saying.

Tabitha: "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!..are you okay?!"

Android: "Target is showing resistance. Increasing lethality."

Tabitha snapped out of her apologetic like state before repositioning into her battle stance.

Tabitha: "I don't know..how anyone can enjoy this, I feel a tingle on my foot from hitting him."
Tabitha mumbled.

The android sprinted toward her, she then raised her hand to block before trying to counteract his attacks. The two went through a whole phase of attacking and missing until the two broke apart. As the two did so, the android dashed forward and kicked her in the stomach. Tabitha screamed in pain slightly before holding her hand over her stomach. The weight of the androids foot was unbearable..the pain she felt was similar to the attacks of a certain man. Tabitha thought to call out for Zeldris's help..but she bit her tongue hard. She looked down at the ground before balling her fists. Thoughts began to race through her mind.

Tabitha: 'No..I've relied on him to help me out so much already. He helped me even when I didn't want to help myself. I don't want to be a liability to him anymore. I want to help him, even if it means giving up the life he wanted to save.'

Tabitha clasped her hands together, blood began to leak from her mouth from the self inflicted tongue injury she did to herself. A magenta glow began to surround her slightly. The android got closer and closer, each step heavy as it got closer to Tabitha.

Tabitha: "Compared to the pain..Donny gave me back then, your hits mean nothing!"

As Tabitha called that out, the android had a burst of speed. It accelerated toward her before going to throw a punch at her..this attack would surely incapacitate Tabitha. Tabitha let out a war cry before opening her arms out, she then opened her hands and fingers out..what happened next was quite the turn of events. Black threads were expelled from her finger tips..it had quite the ominous aura. Tabitha swiftly strafed the androids punch before dashing around it, she then skidded back before chanting.

Tabitha: "Shadow Silk!!!"

The threads began to tighten up holding the android up, the android was completely skewered..bits of the android fell onto the ground and bolts and metal littered onto the ground. Tabitha had deep breaths as she tried to calm her breathing. The magenta aura disappeared as she made sure the android was no more. She wiped the blood from her mouth, she then flicked her hair off to the side before turning around. She then made her way past the bits of the destroyed android before leaving the room..she was getting closer to the centre.

The scene changed and Phoebe was holding her arm, blood oozed from the wounds she had sustained. Another android began to get closer to her.

Phoebe: "No..stay away!!"

Chapter End!